Even as children, Hope was always the talented one and Grace the smart one. Hope received the attention, the boyfriends, and the beautiful clothes; Grace received the hand-me-downs. The leftovers never bothered Grace, until it came to one boy. Her sister went through boyfriends and their affections like she did her clothes, carelessly tossing one aside in favor of another. Often left to stall her sister’s adoring public, Cruz Colton was the one boy Grace never objected to entertaining. As their friendship grew and Grace found herself falling for the boy with the quiet sense of humor, she began to imagine he really came to see her, and not her sister. But one fateful night changed that perception, and she realized his was only a hand-me-down heart, after all. Long ago, Grace banished thoughts of Cruz from her mind, even if her heart was reluctant to let his memory go.Ten years later, their paths cross again. Grace is living her dream as a registered nurse, Hope is a brilliant concert violinist, and Cruz has a distinguished career in the military. Recently discharged from service, Cruz checks in at Texas General Hospital where Grace works. And just like that, Grace’s heart picks up where it left off.She tells herself she’s over him. These sparks between them are nothing but leftover embers from bridges burned, a decade past. The adult Cruz is a changed, hardened man. The shadows in his dark eyes speak of hidden secrets and the horrors of war. Is Grace strong enough to help him battle his inner demons? And with Hope back in town, can Grace stand up to her sister’s domineering presence? Grace may have been content in the shadows as a girl, but she’s a woman now, and she knows what she wants. It’s time to let her own light shine, because Cruz Colton’s is definitely a hand-me-down heart worth fighting for.From the best-selling author of Texas General Cozy Cases of Mystery, The Sisters, Texas Series, and Forgotten Boxes, don’t miss this first book in the series!

     I never lose control. Being a mob boss means keeping a tight rein on my emotions, my body, my business. But then I saw the fear in her innocent eyes, begging me to let her go… And I knew I had to make her mine. ANTON Buying things has lost its thrill. No one ever warned me about that particular downside of being a mafia billionaire. But winning things… Seizing anything you want from the weaker, the helpless, the cowardly… That still gets my blood churning. So, when the girl’s idiot boyfriend wagered her in a desperate final poker hand, I knew she was meant to be mine. She thinks I’m joking when I tell her to go wait for me. But I’ve never been more serious. And my armed bodyguard convinces her this is the farthest thing from a prank. Now, when the time is right, I will go back to where she is chained. I will lift up her pretty chin and stare straight into those gorgeous, helpless eyes. And I will tell her the sick truth of her frightening new reality: You belong to me now, kitten. SCARRED is a full-length, standalone, super steamy, bad boy mafia romance novel from bestselling author VIVIAN GRAY. This suspenseful, action-packed mafia romance is intended for mature audiences, due to violence, strong language, dark themes and elements, and explicit intimate scenes. The romance between the alpha male bad boy and the fiery woman he can't resist ends with a guaranteed happily ever after (HEA) ending, has absolutely NO CHEATING, and does NOT include a cliffhanger of any kind.

    A life spent running from his past landed him in Driftwood, Georgia and he never wants to leave. He doesn't need bright lights or the big city to keep him happy. He likes the wide open spaces of being out in the middle of nowhere. A rare trip to town brings him face to face with the first thing to make him question his lonely life.Mollie Winters came to Driftwood to take a chance on herself. A big city girl who was born and bred in a backwoods town, she thinks she found the best of both worlds here. Mack is all brute and beard but she can't help how badly she wants him. They wind up stuck in his cabin during a storm and she wonders if she'll ever want to leave his mountain mancave.

     Get swept away today with these swoon-worthy heroes! Forgiving the Billionaire Love deserves a second chance. Hannah has finally come home after having been away for seven years. Despite her fears about facing her past, she’s desperate to get away from her boyfriend’s proposal. She didn’t expect to see Logan again. Logan is trying to adjust to his father’s death, being a single dad, and his new status as a billionaire. He thought he had a handle of that until his childhood crush, Hannah, comes back into his life. And she’s everything he remembered her to be. If only they could move on from their broken hearts. If only they could see how perfect they are together. Then maybe the mountains in front of them wouldn’t feel so unsurmountable. Finding Love with the Billionaire Opposites attract in the Alaskan wilderness. Madeline is desperate to finally be taken seriously, but that doesn’t seem to be the case when her boss asks her to write a puff piece of billionaire party boy, Liam Davenport. Liam just wanted a quiet life roaming the world. When his father dies, leaving him to face the media storm surrounding Davenport Outdoors, he’s forced to trade in his hiking boots for tailored suits. They’re determined they already know all there is to know about the other person. Until their plane crashes into an Alaskan mountain side. Suddenly, they’re faced with a choice. Put down their pride to survive, or keep their prejudices and struggle alone. Falling for the Billionaire Two lost souls make a whole. Paige has moved to New York after her father lost his business and passed away. Living with her quirky aunt as she attempts to start over wasn’t what she had envisioned for her life, but she’d determined to be successful. James has a golden finger. As a billionaire, his life is perfect—except that’s not the life he wants. Trouble is, he’s not sure what he’s meant to do. When James meets Paige, he’s intrigued by her. She seems to have everything figured out. The plan was simple. Figure out what James enjoys. If only their hearts hadn’t gotten involved. If only their pasts didn’t come back to haunt them. When everything feels as if it’s crashing down around them, the one thing they feared might be the one thing they needed all along. Fixing the Billionaire Love can mend a broken past. Millie has given up on love. After all, men never seem to show up when they’re supposed to. Joseph is trying to atone for his mistakes that he made before his daughter passed away. He’s left behind his privileged life to travel from town to town, paying off stranger’s medical bills. They were perfectly happy living their single lives until Millie rear ends Joseph in the parking lot of the hospital where she works. Fate intervenes and they find themselves thrown together. But love isn’t that simple.

    But Ellie’s idyllic world is interrupted when she is contacted by a woman who knows her oldest and best-kept secret. Viewing her past in a different light, Ellie undergoes an uplifting change-of-heart. Will her relationship with her new acquaintance bring them a fairytale ending, or is that too much to hope for?

    The Smitten study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    Her life was uneventful; she hated the monotone existence that she had to deal with, where each day blurred into the one before. She dreamed of the day where this would change, the day when she could finally begin to live her life.But when a mysterious young man from out-of-town visits Boutiques with Coffee, Meghan is overwhelmed with emotion. Young, attractive, and more mysterious than a Top-Secret military document, this man by the name of William quickly changes Meghan’s life. Whether the changes were good or bad, she did not yet know.Would this man be good for Meghan? Is he the answer to the boring and uneventful life that she was currently living? Or will the mysterious man break her heart, and make her wish that she had never met him?

    You'll fall in love, too!Love's Replay: David Henderson is so desperate to stop his father from selling their family's auto dealership, he'll even marry to prove he's serious about the future. Enter ex-lover Sandra Miller, who is back in town to help her successful business career. Too bad those prospects hang on partnering with David, the man who once crushed her heart. Will the mistrust and jealousy that tore them apart before prevent a replay of their rekindled love?Just My Type: Janiyah Henderson enjoys her stress-free post-college life, but when her dad insists she can't handle a "real job," she's determined to prove him wrong. Her high-spirited ways clash with the conservative instincts of her new boss, accountant Fredrick Jenkins, yet attraction brews between them. When Fredrick shows Janiyah the man behind the numbers, she realizes she could be just the type of woman he needs.Making It Real: After five years in prison, Kareem Henderson is on the right track as a barber, with a goal to open a high-end salon. But he needs society connections to make his dream a reality. Patrice "Neecie" Baldwin, needs a shield to return home, so she offers Kareem a deal: Pretend to be her fiance, and she'll introduce him to her well-healed relatives. But as they grow closer, this fake relationship might become something very real.From One Night to Forever: When trucker Aaron Henderson rolls into Reliant, Tennessee, for business, a singing beauty at a bar stirs feelings he's long forgotten. Then his one-night stand turns out to be his new partner's baby sister. When Kacey Randal learns that Aaron's working with her brother and has a list of conquests as high as his big rig's mileage, she's ready to pretend their night together never happened. But the fire burns hot between these two--can Kacey tame Aaron's roaming ways to go from one night to forever?Sensuality Level: Sensual

     Businesswoman Stella Marsden has put her personal life on hold to further her career. But all work and no play leave Stella realising that she misses a man. Deciding to seek out a no-strings attached relationship, Stella joins Club Twist with the aim of finding some stress-relieving fun. What Stella finds is the sexy, cool and domineering Nathaniel Jackson. Nathaniel appears to have it all together, but under the surface, he’s struggling to deal with a past he’d rather forget. Can Stella lead him Out of the Darkness…

    She’d been emotionally scarred from her last relationship and has just managed to pay off the mountain of debts she was saddled with.Now all she wants for Christmas is to rediscover Christmas joy—no love in the equation, and what better place than her hometown Dexington where she recalled spending the happiest times of her life. She is determined to stick with her plan and not even a chance encounter with Phillip—billionaire hospital heir and inventor, and the town’s most eligible bachelor—can change her mind.Until she discovers he is the boy she kissed in high school.Phillip Dexington is finally about to launch a new medical device after having his last invention stolen by his former girlfriend and sold to his archenemy. He’s determined that nothing must go wrong this time around—which means avoiding a relationship at all costs—and is content with spending Christmas with the children at the orphanage.But when Phillip runs into Sarah Nash, the girl who stole his heart in high school, his world flips upside down. She’s only in town for Christmas, and the time before the launch party is Phillip’s only chance at determining if she is the one.Will they open their hearts to the fullness of Christmas and give love a second chance, or will their trust issues rob them of a happily ever after?This is a sweet/clean emotional scars Christmas medical billionaire romance with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA.

    After spending four years in the pen, set up on bogus charges by the boy’s mother and the cop assigned to the case, he has no idea where to start looking. Trouble is, as a newly turned vampire, Dante isn’t all that sure he’s what’s best for his son. On an off-chance encounter, Dante crosses paths with a stunning young woman who just might be able to help. Angelica “Angel” Hart runs a safe house, taking in battered women and children, giving them shelter and food. When a devilishly attractive biker comes looking for his son, Angel’s not about to endanger her clients by offering him help. Problem is, Dante’s not taking no for an answer. The sexy biker sets out to prove there’s more to him than the motorcycle vest he wears, unwittingly landing Angel in the middle of an ongoing feud his MC has with a Mexican cartel. When Angel witnesses the deadly message sent by the Sons of Sangue to the cartel’s kingpin, her thinly held trust in Dante begins to crumble. He not only chances losing his son, but the one woman who could save him from his past sins.

    He's the mayor's son, and his bad boy reputation makes me nervous. But I put all that aside for just one night, and I make the best mistake of my life.He gets me pregnant. It's a one-in-a-million chance, but of course it happens to me.He wants to step up and be a father. More than that, he wants me.Everything about him drives me wild. His touch, his stare, the way he laughs as his hands slide down my back.He’s not letting go without a fight. He’s going to remind me why I gave myself to him that first night.If he keeps touching me, I just might give him everything he wants and more.His Dream BabyHe’s coming for his dream baby.And he wants me to be the mother.I never asked to be a mom, but when my cousin made me swear to watch over her son after she passed away, I agreed to adopt him.But I had no clue his father was still around.Connor is gorgeous, but he’s such an a**hole. He’s the sort of cocky jerk my cousin would go for, and not at all my type.He wants his baby back, but I made a promise. I don’t care how charming and handsome Connor is, he's still a total stranger. I’m not letting him take my boy without a fight.But Connor wants more than just his baby. He wants my body, and he’s not shy about it.It scares me how appealing that sounds.Connor says he’s getting his baby back plus a little extra.It’s crazy, but I just might give it to him.His Perfect BabyI can’t get pregnant, but that won’t stop him from trying.David Carlson is rich, handsome, and brilliant. He’s so far out of my league that it makes my head spin. And during our one and only night together, he does the impossible.I’m not supposed to be able to get pregnant, but David makes it happen anyway.Years later, he comes to me with a business proposition, and it takes me totally off guard.He’ll pay me two million dollars to be his surrogate, but he wants to get me pregnant the old fashioned way.I can’t walk away from this opportunity. I’m a single mom and I need the money.I have David’s perfect baby already, but he can’t ever know about her. I’m terrified he’ll learn the truth and take my daughter away from me.One night of passion with David gave me a baby. Several months of passion might give me so much more than that, if only I can give myself over to him completely.His Wonder BabyI was too broken to have a baby.Until my best friend put me back together and got me pregnant.When I met Will Eaton, I was a mess.He listened to me. He held my hand. Slowly, I came out of my shell, and we were best friends ever since.At least until one night when we finally gave in to our desires and he got me pregnant. The doctors all told me that I’d never have a baby, but clearly they never met Will.But as soon as I find out, Will leaves for two years, and it’s like I’m torn to shreds all over. I keep my daughter a secret and vow never to speak to him again.Now he’s back. I hate him, but I still dream about his athletic body pressing me down on the bed.I’m too afraid to let him in. But I can’t help the way I feel when he’s around.I want another taste of that night, and I know he’s going to give it to me.

     THE GREEK'S MARRIAGE REVENGE Alessandros Petrides has spent a lifetime looking out for his younger sister. He might have amassed a fortune and built a reputation for himself as a heartless tycoon, but when it comes to family, he'll always make time for Helena. So when she informs him that her husband Eric is having an affair with their nanny, Alessandros doesn't hesitate to put himself right in the middle of the love triangle. He'll do anything it takes to save his sister's marriage, even if it means seducing the nanny into his own bed. Nothing in Sophie Henderson's life could have prepared her for how she would feel to meet a man like Alex. Not only is he charismatic and sexy, he exudes an air of danger that Sophie can't resist. Lust at first sight turns quickly into love and when he proposes marriage, she doesn't need to think twice. Why would she? Spending the rest of her life with Alex is a dream come true... until she discovers that their marriage is based on lies and revenge and a dark attraction that will consume her if she lets it. THE SHEIKH'S CONVENIENT MISTRESS The business which brings Sheikh Zamir Fayez to the deserts of Las Vegas is far from pleasant, and it's vital that it be kept secret. After all, the last thing he needs is news of his brother's drug addiction hitting the tabloids. Enter Olivia Henderson, a celebrity concierge who specialises in meeting the requirements of her clients no matter how difficult they might be. Only nothing in Olivia's experience has prepared her for a man like Zamir. He's domineering, arrogant and sexy, and he makes no effort to hide the fact that he wants Olivia in more ways than the professional. Nothing in their relationship is certain, but for one thing: that it must end. For Zamir will be King, and the hopes of a nation rest upon his shoulders. Olivia is a perfect distraction in his moment of need but she's hardly wife material. So why does he find it so hard to leave her, even when his duty calls him? And will he ever forgive her for how quickly she moves on? THE BRAZILIAN'S FORGOTTEN LOVER A secret child. A romance in tatters. And a thousand reasons Cristiano and Ava can never be together. After the death of her mother and the heartbreak of leaving Cristiano, Ava Henderson finally has her life on track. She's running the family vineyards and raising her beautiful daughter single-handedly. But a chance reunion with the love of her life makes her doubt everything she's worked to build. Cristiano had been right to leave when Ava asked him to. What choice did he have? She had always wanted a completely different life to what he could offer. And that life was more important to her than anything else. But three years later, he's back in the sleepy wine-growing district of Western Australia, and the same electrifying connection sparks between them as though no time has passed. Just as he's starting to wonder if maybe lightning does strike twice, he discovers something about Ava that will change his feelings forever. How can he forgive a woman who lied to him? Who kept his own child away from him? And how can he move forward, sharing a child with a woman he's now starting to despise ...

    Unfortunately, rumors spread of mysterious happenings haunting the property, and the only contractor willing to take on the project is Jackson Dean, the long lost nephew of her grandmother’s chief enemy. Jackson Dean moves to Georgia to reignite his family relations, but his work poses a threat to a peaceful transition. He accepts the job on Montgomery House to prove his skills as a contractor, but what he is not expecting are his feelings towards the granddaughter of Sissy Montgomery, and his personal quest to mend more than just the house. Elizabeth and Jackson must learn to work together on more than just construction, and their hearts must face more than just family prejudice. Can years of family rivalry truly be forgiven?

    Pursued by a loan shark bent on retrieving gambling debts owed by her deadbeat ex-boyfriend, she finds the perfect hiding place at the remote Circle W Ranch in central Oregon. More at home with city life, cupcakes, and croissants than beef, beans, and bacon, she has to convince the ranch owner she’s up to the job of feeding his cowhands. Micah West’s ranch cook quit without notice. With his crew of hungry cowboys about to mutiny, he hires Cary on a temporary basis, just until he finds the right man to fill the job. But, maintaining a hands-off policy toward his sexy new cook becomes tougher than managing a herd of wild-eyed Herefords. Sweet Cowboy Kisses Kade Vaughn’s goal is to ride Swamp Fox. The rank bull has bucked him off twice and given him a severe concussion to boot. On a forced vacation at his friend’s ranch, he comes face to face with a temptress in a Cleopatra wig working in the local diner. She’s the girl he left behind, and who he’d give nearly anything to have back in his arms. To get through each day, Pansy Lark pretends to be famous, strong women who took what they wanted from life. Once a champion barrel racer with a bright future, and a cowboy she loved, she’s lost it all. When Kade walks back into her life, she must decide if real strength is in forgiveness. Cowboy’s Sweetheart Byron Garrett has discovered a passion for the land, his horses, and the cowboy way of life on the Circle W Ranch. Far from his controlling father’s demands, he found peace and created the lifestyle he always wanted. That life doesn’t include a woman--or the complications that come with love. After a long search, Vivi Beckett found home in the beautiful wilds of Oregon. With an inheritance left when she was orphaned, she plans to buy a studio and create her sculptures. Her dreams are put at risk when she discovers her inheritance is in jeopardy. To make matters worse, after meeting the quiet cowboy, Vivi suspects her art won’t be enough to bring her happiness. With Byron’s help, can she salvage her dreams and become a cowboy’s sweetheart? Do you love strong heroines and steadfast cowboys, you'll love the Sugar Coated Cowboys series. Join the men and women of the Circle W Ranch.